Foodie/swimmie trip to Wales

If you know me you know that there are two things I won’t stop talking about: Food and Swimming. Food has been a constant love (hence my 4xl figure) but swimming is a recent obsessive affair. For the last 3 years I have been improving my style and increasing fitness and endurance in the water. So when Carl Reynolds and Kate Webb – a.k.a. Mr. and Mrs. Ape – fellow cold water swimmers and incorrigible foodies, invited me for a week of intense swimming in Tenby (Wales), I could not refuse.

The best thing about going away with Carl and Kate is that even if it’s rainy and windy they still want to go for a swim. On the other hand, the worse thing about going away with them is that… even if it’s rainy and windy they still want to go for a swim! And swim we did.. a lot! We had nice days with flat water and stormy days with choppy seas, but above all we had some great meals and a lot of laughs. When not chomping on some delicious food we played in the sand, walked around Tenby and played a simple but thrilling Persian card game called Haft Va Chahâr (or Pasur).

As well as Carl’s wonderful fresh granary and milk loafs we had Kate’s Bara Brief cake, Scones, Banana Fritters, many fruit salads and Camembert Risotto. I made Asparagus and Chorizo Risotto, Gambas Al Ajillo on Toast, a Steak and Frites and Roast Beef with some of my Argentine beef (Picanha), a Prawn Moqueca Baiana and a Caldo Verde with some of ‘Sea Greens’ which we foraged straight from the beach. Carl retaliated with two different versions of Chicken Curry and a full fry-up breakfast with eggs fried on the Picanha dripping, which was quite obscenely good.

Before I close this to go look for more on our trip I would like to point out the amazing work done by the Lifeboat crew at Tenby (and all over the UK of course). We visited their massive Liveboat station and were blown away by the technology and engineering they command. Their Lifeboat looks like something out of a sci-fi movie. Despite being enormous (it carries a crew of 6 + rescued passengers) it’s self-righting and all seats have jet-pilot style seat-belts which keep the crew safe and snug no matter what the weather throws at them. If you have ever been in a boat in the sea you should definitely appreciate their volunteer work. Visit their website and make sure you make a donation to the RNLI – and if you’re even in Tenby, do go and visit the station. I’m sure you’ll be well impressed.

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